There are a lot of people
that need love out there.
Sometimes an act of love,
an act of caring
can change a whole family.

Hallo excellent viewers
and welcome to
Good People, Good Works.
This week
we are speaking with
the caring Dr. Ted Ridoré.
Born in Haiti and with
a humble beginning to life,
Dr. Ridoré was illiterate
until the age of 17,
when he was taught
how to read and write
by a French missionary.

This sparked a passion
for education and
through much discipline
and determination,
Dr. Ridoré has gone on
to earn two
Bachelor of Arts degrees,
one in communications
and the other in education,
two master’s degrees,
one in education and
one in family counseling,
and doctorates
in philosophy, education
and theology.
Remembering his own
lack of access to education
during childhood
and early adulthood,
Dr. Ridoré has dedicated
his life to giving to others
as well as providing them
with opportunities to learn.

He is the founder of
Lighthouse High School
in Orlando, Florida, USA,
founder and president
of two online higher
education institutions,
Cornerstone University
of Florida
and Cornerstone
Christian University,
founder of the
Help Me Too Foundation,
which serves
underprivileged children
and youth in Haiti
with free food, education
and shelter,
and has helped people
from all walks of life
to gain reading
and writing skills.

Now living in Florida, USA,
Dr. Ridoré has become
a role model to thousands
of young people
embarking on a quest
for more knowledge.
He now relates
his chance meeting
with the missionary
from France who
changed his life forever.

He used to be
a schoolteacher;
he retired in Haiti.
Being retired he still
wanted something to do,
his passion is education,
so he was walking around
in the daytime
when kids are supposed
to be in school,
and every kid of course
that he crossed paths with,
he asked them, “Why
don’t you go to school?”

And that’s how one day
I crossed paths with him,
he asked me, “Why
don’t you go to school?”
It was about 10 o’clock
in the morning, so I said,
“I’m not in school.”
He said, “Why aren’t you
in school?”
I said, because my sister
didn’t put me in school.
Then he said,
“Would you like to know
how to read?”
I said, “Yes.”
He said, “You can
come to my house, I can
teach you how to read.”

This initial contact
with learning
transformed Dr. Ridoré.
In the years that followed,
he felt a deep yearning
to teach others
how to read and write.
Prior to opening
his online universities,
he taught these skills
to 11,000 people.

So I decided
to find anybody who
didn’t know how to read,
and with the little
basic English that I had,
I wanted to teach,
even if I showed them
how to write their name,
I’d be satisfied.
So that’s how I started.
We started in churches,
then we went into parks
and things like that.
That’s what I did for many,
many, many, many years.

And I taught
a lot of people,
a lot of people from
all diverse backgrounds,
how to read and write
and some of them
went to high school.
We still have a lot of them
in college right now,
people that I taught
how to read,
just the basics, and I still
have those people even
in my life today, who
call me from time to time
and think of me.
So when I think about it,
it’s just that
it’s beyond imagination.

So God foresaw
from the beginning,
He saw all those people
were waiting for me
and He could have used
somebody else.
But I guess
He decided to use me,
just like this guy
(the missionary)
from France.
I think he came to Haiti
just for me.
Even though
he had other kids,
I think he came just for me
to know how to read.
So that’s how I showed
those people how to read.

In 1979, Dr. Ridoré
began a ministry
by holding Bible studies
in people’s homes,
libraries, and parks,
and in 1991
he became a pastor.
Through pastoring
and teaching, he saw
the hunger and thirst
that people had
for God’s Word.
This inspired him
to found Cornerstone
Christian High School,
now known as
Lighthouse High School,
and two universities.
Cornerstone Christian
University offers degrees
in theology, biblical
studies and other areas.
Though it is
a Christian university,
the curriculum introduces
students to all faiths.

We teach about
different groups,
different religions,
different backgrounds.
We have courses
on different groups,
we have courses
on Buddhism,
we have courses on Islam
and Judaism, because
we want people to learn.

We asked Dr. Ridoré
how he defines success.

Every time
I get the opportunity
to help someone,
I call that success for me.
But every time somebody
walks through this door
and walks out smiling,
to me it’s success.
And we have a high school
diploma program
for adults.
And we have people that
never thought one day
that they would have
a high school diploma
in their hands.

Well, guess what?
Those people right now,
they’re in college
because we were able to
help them to get their
high school diploma.
So when they come here,
they go out smiling and
happy; that’s my success.

For those children
in the world who do not
have the opportunity
to go to school,
Dr. Ridoré offers
the following advice.

I would say there is hope.
And I would say check
with the library system
if you’re in an area
where you can get access
to a library.
If you’re involved
with a church
get involved with a church
and ask anybody
if you can
if they can teach you
how to read.
I wish I had done that,
but everything has a
certain time marked to it,
and God knew the time
that was set-aside for me.

But I would say to them,
if you have anybody
in your church
that shows they care,
ask them if they can
teach you how to read.
And right now
we’re living
in the United States.
There’s
a lot of opportunity.
And if they’re local,
they want to call me,
I’ll still show them
how to read.

Dr. Ridoré’s
heartfelt desire
to help the less fortunate
led him to establish the
Help Me Too Foundation
which is dedicated to
feeding, clothing, and
providing an education
to Haitian children
and young adults in need.
Regarding the mission
of the Foundation,
Dr. Ridoré states:
“We serve the deprived
and help them fulfill their
God-given potential.”

The Foundation
previously operated
an orphanage that was
opened by Dr. Ridoré,
however sadly
the building was destroyed
in the January 2010
Haiti earthquake.
With a long-term goal of
building a new orphanage,
the Foundation still helps
children without someone
to care for them
find a place to call home
on an individual basis.

Shortly after
the earthquake,
Dr. Ridoré returned
to Haiti to help
the relief teams
with translation
and interpreting.
With his knowledge
of English
and the local languages,
he worked closely with
our Association members
who were providing
medical aid to victims.
We asked Dr. Ridoré to
talk about the importance
of volunteerism.

Well, for me
I think one principle
that helps me a lot
is to be able to give back
to others because
we have received
so many blessings
and sometimes we seem
to take it for granted.
But if you’re able to
go back and
give something to people,
that’s how
I started teaching people
how to read.

I’ve been volunteering
for a lot of organizations
even here
in the United States.
I volunteered
for the Red Cross
and (there are)
a lot of other programs
I (have also)
volunteered (for).
If I have my education
and I have things,
it’s because the country
offered me the opportunity.
The country offers
the opportunity,
but if you don’t go get it,
it’s not going
to fall in your lap.

You’ve got to
make an effort to learn,
to go to school and work
and you’ll be able to
help other people.
In terms of Haitians
who are living here
(in the US), I think
they need to think about
giving back
to their country.
We have people
that are hungry,
that are naked,
that need to be clothed.
There are a lot of things
that we can do to help.

How can the Haitian
people help themselves?
Dr. Ridoré shares
his perspective.

And I feel
Haiti is one country,
not just because
I came from there,
but it’s a country that
needs to know about love.
They need to know
about sharing.
They need to know
about giving back.
They need to know about
loving the next person.
You don’t always have to
love just your family.
But the fellow person
that has no family,
nobody to care for (them),
we need to love them.

So I would tell them
one thing
they need to (do is)
put the love of God
in their heart,
knowing that if they love,
like the Bible said,
then God could
open doors for you.
If we put ourselves
in a position
to help other people,
then you know
God can do the rest.

Dr. Ridoré has
much compassion for our
animal friends as well.

I think
they need to be cared for,
they need to be protected,
and they need to be loved.

Thank you Dr. Ted Ridoré
for bringing the gift
of education to others
and comforting the
disadvantaged young ones
in Haiti through the
Help Me Too Foundation.
May you continue providing
learning opportunities
to many more people
and bringing joy
to vulnerable
Haitian children.

For more information
on Dr. Ridoré’s work,
please visit
the following websites:
Cornerstone
Christian University
www.CCUDL.com
Cornerstone University
of Florida
www.CUFLO.com
Help Me Too Foundation
www.HelpMeToo.org
Lighthouse High School
www.LightHouseHigh.com

Thank you valued viewers
for your company
on this edition of
Good People, Good Works.
May we always strive
to do our utmost
to serve our communities
and world.